RESTITUTION

On 29 April 1999, the Vienna City Council decided that art and cultural items that had been acquired during the Nazi era by the city’s museums, libraries, archives and collections through purchase or donation and that were considered to have been obtained by questionable means (theft, confiscation, expropriation) were to be returned to their original owners or their legal successors.

Vugesta purchases 1940-1945

Museen der Stadt Wien have in their possession the following objects that were acquired by Städtische Sammlungen during the Nazi era from the headquarters of Vugesta (Gestapo Office for the Disposal of the Property of Jewish Emigrants) in Vienna 1, Bauernmarkt 24, and from the Vugesta Office for the Disposal of Furniture in Vienna 2, Krummbaumgasse 8.

From the time it was set up in early autumn 1940 until the end of the war, Vugesta “disposed” of the property of 5,000 to 6,000 and the furniture of at least 10,000 Jewish families who emigrated or were deported.

Most of the documentation of Museen der Stadt Wien regarding these acquisitions has the entry “purchase from Vugesta” or “purchase from the Gestapo from items confiscated in expatriation proceedings”, but never the names of the former owners.

Dorotheum purchases 1940-1945

The following list of Dorotheum purchases includes those objects purchased by Städtische Sammlungen during the Nazi era from the Dorotheum auction house whose owners have not been identified.

Museen der Stadt Wien are publishing this list as it is likely that some of the objects were auctioned following Nazi persecution activities and need to be restored to their original owners or their legal successors.

Purchases from art and antique dealers public donations and purchases and donations by Julius Fargel 1938-1945

The following three lists contain the objects acquired by Städtische Sammlungen between 1938 and 1945 from art and antique dealers, public authorities and from Julius Fargel, whose owners at the time the Nazis came to power in Austria in March 1938 have not been identified beyond doubt.

It is likely that some of these objects were also acquired by Museen der Stadt Wien from art and antique dealers and public authorities as a result of Nazi persecution activities.

Julius Fargel worked as an evaluator of paintings for Vugesta (Gestapo Office for the Disposal of the Property of Jewish Emigrants) and as a restorer of paintings for Städtische Sammlungen. There are indications that some of the objects that Fargel sold or gave to Städtische Sammlungen might have been stolen from Jewish owners.

Museen der Stadt Wien therefore requests that relevant information about the origins of the listed objects acquired from Vugesta, the Dorotheum, other art and antique dealers, public authorities and Julius Fargel and about their former owners or present-day claimants be addressed to the person responsible for restitutions at Museen der Stadt Wien, namely:

Art database of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism

Since October 2006 the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism has had an online art database at www.kunstrestitution.at and www.artrestitution.at is intended to help entitled persons throughout the world to locate expropriated works of art.